Introduction. LaTeX (pronounced lay-tech ) is a professional document preparation system.

Transcription

1 Introduction LaTeX (pronounced lay-tech ) is a professional document preparation system. LaTeX refers to the language in which documents are written. TeX is a computer program that uses LaTeX. Numerous text editors have been created to write LaTeX. Text editor creates a.tex file. TeXworks is a common editor (esp. for MAC).

2 Introduction LaTeX is used in several environments: - Academia & professional publishing - Production of books and professional journals - Sciences where there are heavy use of equations LaTeX provides full desktop publishing control, typesetting, cross-referencing, page layout control, etc. Language originally written in early 1980s by Leslie Lamport. LaTeX is FREE and distributed under LPPL (much like R is distributed under GNU). Introduction Like R, LaTeX has become the industry standard in virtually the entire publishing environment worldwide. Like R, LaTeX has a steep learning curve due to all of its flexibility, but once mastered is an amazing resource. Like R, there are many excellent resources to get started including tutorials, FAQs, Wikibooks, etc. See website: Introduction The philosophy behind LaTeX is that authors should be able to focus on content, and not be distracted by its visual presentation. (Separates layout from content.) LaTeX is not a word processor! TeX Documents can be converted to/from virtually any format to any other format (unlike XML). Documents are stable through time and do not change with versions. Runs on similar principle to R: there is a base package (available for virtually all platforms) with additional add-on packages for all sorts of applications.

3 Latex-project.org Base Installation brings in a number of utility programs.

4 Our First LaTeX Document Demonstration You must first understand that LaTeX is not WYSIWG. The text and the formatting of that text are actually separate (has some advantages)! One typically uses a text editor as an interface. TeXworks is perhaps one of the most widely used and part of the base MAC installation. TeXworks has a simple title & menu bar. One works in the source/editor window and views output in the preview window (.pdf generated from play button).

5 TeXworks has its own manual available online. It has a shallow learning curve and let's you get started quickly. Go the title bar and select HELP to find documentation. The Bibliography Without a doubt, what makes a scholarly document is the references or bibliography. LaTeX has a slightly more intelligent approach to handling references than word processors, short of buying or obtaining third-party software (e.g., EndNote, Mendeley, etc.). There are two approaches. We will look at the easiest approach first before moving to the typical approach which is a bit more complicated but much more efficient and less prone to error.

6 Package: natbib Provides reference formatting for all biological journals and citation systems currently in use. References can even be adjusted in style if you desire. BibDesk BibDesk is the second way of constructing Bibliographies or References Cited. BibDesk is another open-source application that was designed to be a stand alone database, or be the front end to LaTeX. Was first created in Designed specifically for Mac OS X and bundled with the MacTex package. Designed to have integrated connectivity to ISI Web of Science! BibDesk does not contain its own citation styles (this is the job of LaTeX). BibDesk

7 BibDesk

8 BibDesk LaTeXit LaTeX offers a number of very powerful tools that can be used as both stand alone apps or integrated into LaTeX documents. LaTeXiT is a very powerful equation editor that can be used in conjunction with any other application. It is currently used by all journals in the physical and mathematical sciences. The typesetting is similar to what is used by LibreOffice and OpenOffice (previously demonstrated).

9 LaTeXit LaTeXit By way of example, let's typeset the equation for the standard error between two means (p. 289) found in your textbook. Note color coding of brackets and logical separation of elements. LaTeXit The neat thing is that you can copy and paste this equation as an image into any other document (ODT, DOC, PDF, etc.). Equations can be saved, palettes formulated, history recalled, etc. One can even link bak to LaTeXit via clicking on the equation.

10 All we have done here is scratch the veritable surface. EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT: Your textbook was constructed using LaTeX. Reproduce the first two (2) pages EXACTLY as they appear (picture optional). Value: 5 points